Building-block.



F. B. FAIBBANK. BUILDING BLOCK.

APPLICATION r1120 JUNE 28. 1911.

13,900. PatentedSept. 21, 1915.

1% 1: 5% L J. 12 11v //3 FREDRIEGK B. FAIRBANK, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

BUIIDIN G-BIiOCK.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FREDRIEOK B. :FAIR- I BANK, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Building-Blocks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to building blocks, and it has for one of its objects the provision of an article of this kind made from cement or artificial stone and the like which is provided with grooves and tongues whereby adjacent blocks may be held in fixed relation relatively to each other.

The invention has also for its object the provision of a building block which is provided with registering channels adapted to receive reinforcing members extending through a number of adjacent blocks, and furthermore adapted to receive cement which may be. poured thereinto in liquid condition and will practically surround and unite the blocks in the manner of a unitary tie or union member, so that a very strong and durable wall-construction will be attained. I

Further objects of the invention will hereinafter appear and be particularly defined in the claim.

The invention hasbeen clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters denote similar parts, and in which Figure 1 illustrates a plan view of a twolayer wall formed of building-blocks em.- bodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 22 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the blocks.

- Referring to the'drawings, the block B may be of any suitable shape, dimensions and material, it being understood however 'that all the blocks used in building a wall correspond and match together as required. Each block has alongitudinal top tongue 10 adapted to fit into a groove 11 on the underside of the next adjacent block above it, said rear faces of the block. A vertical tongue 12 on the left side of the block fits into a groove 13 on the right hand side of the next block so that in this manner each individual block will become locked on four of its sides against displacement relatively to the surrounding blocks.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pa,tented S pt,- 21 1915. Application filed June 28, 1911. Serial No. 665,776.

Each block is provided with a pair of horizontal troughs 14, 15 in its upper and lower faces respectively, at substantially the same distance from its front face, so that when two blocks are superposed, the upper trough 14 of the lower block will, in conunction with the lower trough 15 of the upper block, form a channel extending longitudinally of the entire structure. Connecting the troughs 14, 15, are a pair of vertical runways 16, 17, located a distance equal to about one-fourth of the length of the block, from each end thereof. It will therefore be seen that when successive layers of blocks overlap each other one half as usual in building constructions (see at right of 2), the left runway 16 of one block Wlll register with the right runway 17 of both the 'adjacent blocks above and below the same. Obversely, the right runway 17 of the block will register with the left runways 16 of the next adjacent blocks over and under the same. Hence it will be understood that the several vertical runways constitute a series of continuous vertical channels which intersect the horizontal channels formed by the several troughs 14, 15. When cement c is oured into any one or more of the vertical runways, both the horizontal as well as the vertical channels will be filled up by a mass-which entirely surrounds each individual block and ties the adjacent block thereto, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. These runways are also adapted to receive reinforclng members such as rods 20, 21, ex-

tending therethrough and embedded in the I claim In a wall construction, cementitious blocks, each block having a tongue in spaced relation to one margin of the block on the top and one end face thereof, 'a groove in the plane of the tongue on the bottom and other end face of the block, whereby one or similar molds can be used for producing said blocks, the upperv and lower faces of each block having a centrally disposed lon-' gitudinal trough parallel to the adjacent tongues and grooves connected by vertical run-ways extending through the body of each block adjacent to the ends thereof with a greater amount of material between said run-ways than the material between the ends of the block and said run-ways, and cooperating with said trough in receiving vertical and horizontal metallic reinforcing tie rods and cementitious material adapted to bind said blocks together, and each block having a vent channel extending from the top to the bottom thereof between the plane of the trough and the front face of the block and in parallelism with said vertical run-ways.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDRIECK B. FAIRBANK.

Witnesses:

G. E. MOGRANN, F. E. ERNST. 

